[05/01/2015] Human echolocation operates as a viable "sense," working in tandem with other senses to deliver information to people with visual impairment, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.Echolocation acts as substitute sense for blind people - Read more

[19/11/2014] Scientists at The University of Manchester have identified an important new factor behind one of the major causes of blindness, which they hope could lead to new treatments. Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the major cause of blindness in the western world, affecting around 50 million people. It has been shown that sufferers are genetically predisposed to develop the condition.
New insight into common cause of blindness - Read more

[26/09/2014] Many Americans across racial and ethnic groups describe losing eyesight as potentially having the greatest impact on their day-to-day life, more so than other conditions including: loss of limb, memory, hearing and speech (57 percent of African-Americans, 49 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 43 percent of Asians and 38 percent of Hispanics).Americans rate losing eyesight as having greatest impact on their lives - Read more

Experiencing life with all your senses – unfortunately, not everyone is able to do this. This is why there are different kinds of assistive devices, counseling and services that are meant to assist people with sensory disabilities. At REHACARE 2014, sensory disabilities are also once again a topic. Two theme parks offer many delights for the eyes and ears in Hall 5.Sensory REHACARE: help with hearing and seeing - Read more

[12/09/2014] A new wide-ranging survey has gathered the responses of nearly 1000 visually impaired people. The project 'Med jobb i sikte' (Work in mind) has included the first major survey of its kind since 1994. Whereas in previous surveys the emphasis was on facilitation and support schemes, focus has now turned to the factors that help and hinder the visually impaired from getting jobs.Education vital to the visually impaired - Read more

[20/08/2014] A program called StopInfo integrates with OneBusAway and provides specific information on location, safety features and stop closures for each bus stop in King County. In particular, it seeks to collect and share information that blind people have identified as important when they ride the bus. It relies on bus riders using the application to update and provide information about each stop.StopInfo for OneBusAway app makes buses more usable for the blind - Read more

Whether we want to know about the weather or health – today’s technology enables us to quickly get the desired information while we are on the go. The mobile helpers are called apps and depending on what we are looking for, provide us with different data. People with disabilities are also increasingly benefitting from these apps.Modern and mobile: Everyday helpers 2.0 - Read more

[16/06/2014] In laboratory tests, researchers have used electrical stimulation of retinal cells to produce the same patterns of activity that occur when the retina sees a moving object. Although more work remains, this is a step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people, the researchers say.Making artificial vision look more natural - Read more

[20/01/2014] Investigators at the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute have identified new molecular abnormalities in the diabetic cornea that could contribute to eye problems in affected patients. With this new knowledge, investigators aim to accelerate the process of healing and repair in damaged corneas to ultimately reverse the effects of diabetes-induced eye complications.Research Advancements Made in Diabetes-Induced Blindness - Read more

[06/01/2014] A proper harness that enables good communication between the blind person and the dog is an important factor in the animal’s well-being, while a poorly fitting harness may result in health problems and impaired communication between dog and owner.A Harness for Guide Dogs Must Suit Both Dog and Owner - Read more

[18/10/2013] In a typical yoga class, students watch an instructor to learn how to properly hold a position. But for people who are blind or can't see well, it can be frustrating to participate in these types of exercises. Now, a team of computer scientists has created a software program that watches a user's movements and gives spoken feedback on what to change to accurately complete a yoga pose.Yoga Accessible for the Blind with New Program - Read more

[07/10/2013] The use of different materials with varied textures improves the recognition of tactile images by young blind people, researchers from the Laboratoire de psychologie et neurocognition (LPNC) (CNRS/Université Pierre Mendès France/ Savoie University) have shown. Textured Images Help Tactile Recognition for the Blind - Read more

[11/09/2013] The project “A Mobility and Navigational Aid for Visually Impaired Persons” wants to help visually impaired persons to orient themselves in new environments by means of computer-aided vision. For development of a smartphone software solution, the research group around Rainer Stiefelhagen at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is awarded the US$ 83,000 Google Faculty Research Award.Safe Navigation For Visually Impaired Persons - Read more

[01/08/2012] University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston researchers have discovered that a drug already prescribed to millions of people with diabetes could also have another important use: treating one of the world's leading causes of blindness.Diabetes Drug Could Treat Leading Cause of Blindness - Read more

[25/06/2012] A new application for devices with Android operating systems, called OnTheBus, helps people find their way and move around in large cities. The application is useful especially for people with visual, hearing or cognitive impairments.First GPS for the Blind - Read more

[23/05/2012] It is easy to see that University of Cincinnati design students are on to something with their new design and prototype for a prescription-medicine pill bottle that better serves the needs of the blind and visually impaired by means of a simple and inexpensive innovation.Pill Bottle for the Blind and Visually Impaired - Read more

[30/01/2012] Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most frequent cause of blindness in the Western World. A report from the University of Copenhagen and Glostrup Hospital in Denmark shows the number of new cases of blindness.Risk of Blindness Halved Over Last Decade - Read more

[21/03/2011] Researcher compared the brain activity of people who can see and people who were born blind, and discovered that the part of the brain that normally works with our eyes to process vision and space perception can actually rewire itself to process sound information instead. Neuropsychology: Some Blind People 'See' with their Ears - Read more